Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced that Alvin Daniel Gatewood, 31 years old, previously residing in the 1300 block of Pine Cone Circle in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was sentenced for charges of Second Degree Felony Murder and Child Abuse/Neglect. Gatewood was previously found guilty of these charges by a jury after a four-day trial, and the jury recommended he serve 40 years in prison. Circuit Court Judge A. Bonwill Shockley, who presided over the trial, imposed that 40-year sentence today.

The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on November 27, 2011, 19-month-old Kimauri Williams was brought to Virginia Beach General Hospital by his mother and her live-in boyfriend, Alvin Gatewood. Despite the fact that Kimauri was not breathing and his body was limp, Gatewood and the child’s mother parked their car, casually strolled into the hospital, and filled out paperwork. Neither Gatewood nor Kimauri’s mother yelled for help or indicated to the hospital staff that the baby needed emergency care. The first nurse to examine Kimauri immediately recognized that he was dead or dying and directed the couple to rush Kimauri to a treatment room. Kimauri was pronounced deceased at the hospital. He had severe bruising all over his body due to multiple beatings. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the abdomen with contributing head trauma.

Detectives with the Virginia Beach Police Department began investigating Kimauri’s death. Through the investigation, they learned that Alvin Gatewood had been responsible for the vast majority of Kimauri’s care in the days leading up to his death. In the hours leading up to his death, Kimauri was vomiting, crying, and could not stand up without being supported. Neither Alvin Gatewood nor Kimauri’s mother sought medical treatment for him during this time.

A jury found Kimauri’s mother, Shaniqua Jones, guilty of Second Degree Felony Murder and Child Abuse/Neglect. They recommended she serve 13 years and six (6) months in prison. She will be formally sentenced on October 21, 2013.

“In the past three years, this office has prosecuted 12 defendants for child abuse resulting in the death of the victim,” Bryant said. “As I have to say too often, single mothers need to be very cautious about relying on the non-parent boyfriend to take care of their children.”

Gatewood has adjudications as a juvenile for charges of Robbery, Destruction of Property, and Grand Larceny, as well as convictions as an adult for Assault and Battery, Possession of Marijuana, Obstruction of Justice, Contempt of Court, and Failure to Appear.